Chriselda Farmer

Tjanpi Desert Weavers

Warakurna WA

Chriselda Farmer is an artist belonging to the Ngaanyatjarra language and cultural group in Western Australia.

Chriselda was fortunate enough to be taught basket-making and fibre sculpting by her mother-in-law and prominent Tjanpi artist Nancy Nanana Jackson. She quickly adopted the same Minarri (grass) rich coil-style characteristic of basket-makers in the Ngaanyatjarra communities, which creates baskets with the Minarri visible between stitches. Chriselda has refined this into her own unique style by neatly laying the Minarri strands in narrow coils and sewing them in with brightly coloured raffia. Since attending a Tjanpi weaving masterclass in 2016, Chriselda has also been sculpting with the Minarri, focusing on animals such as papas (dogs), tinkas (goannas), and tjulpu (birds).

Chriselda had her debut exhibition with Tjanpi in 2018 at Revealed at Fremantle Arts Centre WA. Chriselda’s contribution to this exhibition was in the form of a rabbit sculpture being chased by a series of punu (wood) snakes.

In addition to her fibre art skills, Chriselda is an astute bush business woman, making a substantial income from her artwork in order to support her young family.

Chriselda was born in 1989 and grew up travelling around the Ngaanyatjarra Lands in Western Australia. Chriselda later settled in Warakurna community after marrying and now spends her time raising her son, travelling to football and softball carnivals, and weaving and painting.

Chriselda is an incredibly clever and driven young woman who is destined to be one of Tjanpi’s future superstars.